Hey everyone, I’m back! It has already been 5 weeks of TRIP (wow, time really does fly!). Every week we are learning new skills such as sorting flies (I was more so shortening the flies, since I kept killing them, but don't worry, I’m a lot better now!), using assays, analyzing data, and presenting our findings. Working with everyone in my session has been awesome, and I’m happy to say that I’ve made so many new friends!

​To get us prepared for our independent projects, we all participated in different screens. My screen explored if licorice and sugar affected microbiome density (aka the flies’ gut bacteria). I got to conduct the microbiome assay, which measured the number and diversity of the bacteria inside my flies’ guts. I also collected developmental data by counting the number of pupae in my vials and counting how many of them had eclosed into adults.

I am choosing to study the effects of calcium, a typical nutrient in the human diet, on the microbiome as my independent project.  The microbiome is the scientific term for the bacteria in your gut, something I was unaware that I had until a few weeks ago. I predict that the calcium will positively affect the microbiome by increasing the quantity and diversity of the bacteria colonies. I will also be testing the effects of calcium with high sugar. A high amount of natural sugar is known to harm the microbiome by decreasing the quantity and diversity of the colonies, and I want to test and see if calcium when paired with high sugar can offset the effects of the high sugar. I am interested in this topic because it could change human health and the way we shape our diets in the future. ​

With my inspiration from TRIP, I decided to study the microbiome outside of the lab as well. In one of my other classes, we have a different type of independent research project, where I will be looking at how the microbiome affects depression and what we, as humans, could do to decrease the risk of depression by altering the microbiome. The microbiome has been known to influence mood, for it is responsible for long-term changes of systems connected to the brain. However, your microbiome is always changing, so it is a fairly new topic of research. Aside from my research, I use skills like scientific communication and the way to make a meaningful presentation every day. TRIP has influenced my life inside and outside of the lab, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me!​

​My project is about the effects of turmeric powder in a fly’s diet on mobility, and I am testing both adults and larvae. The reason I am so interested in this project is that since ancient times, turmeric has been used as a healing agent for sickness, since it is supposed to help destroy harmful bacteria. For this reason, sometimes when I am sick, I eat a paste made of this powder and honey. My reasoning for choosing this project is that I wanted to know if turmeric actually has health benefits, or if that was just a myth. Since normally, the more active you are, the more healthy you are, I thought testing mobility would be a good way to test the effects of turmeric powder on health. I think that turmeric will end up increasing mobility in the flies, but I will find out the results soon!

Though I managed to work around my first experiment’s disasters, my failures didn’t stop there. The next challenge that I faced was picking an independent experiment. When I came up with my first proposal, I did not expect to have to scrap the entire idea and start again... Nor did I expect it the second time. Though, working through the errors in my plans with my peers and Dr. Purdy has helped me understand that an experiment takes a lot of planning and every wrinkle has to be ironed out before it can be considered. This means a lot of questions have to be raised, a lot of ideas have to be changed, and a lot of criticism has to be taken. I didn’t realize the importance of collaboration with others when designing an experiment until these failures. Now, as I prepare to propose my third idea to the TRIP team, I’m ready to pick apart my experiment and make it testable. I’m excited to communicate my ideas, question them, and adapt my experiment. I’m excited to fail and try again.​

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​Hi again! It’s already been four weeks into the program, and I can’t believe how many new things I’ve learned! I never would have imagined studying the life cycle of a fruit fly, learning how to differentiate between male and female flies, or even learning how to make fly food before this program, but I am so glad that I learned.

Over the past weeks I have been conducting a short, preliminary research project (I like to call it the fake research project) in order to become familiar with the different assays and the general research process. For this project, I was studying the effect that darkness, my stressor, and Rhodiola, my drug, had on mood. After finding out that Rhodiola was used to excite and energize humans, or, in this case flies, I hypothesized that flies put in dark environments and given Rhodiola won’t have a change in mood.

​As for my individual research project that I will be conducting over the next weeks, I wanted to choose a topic involving sleep deprivation and memory. Even before being accepted into TRIP, I knew my focus would be about the effects of sleep deprivation because as a high schooler with after-school activities, rigorous coursework, and jobs, I tend to not get the recommended amount of sleep, sometimes not getting sleep at all. I wanted to see whether these sleep patterns affected performance in school with tests and quizzes or just focus in class. With these thoughts and the help of peers and mentors, I finally decided to study how memory is affected by lack of sleep. However, to further challenge myself, and still continue with the high school theme, I also decided to study how caffeine impacts memory. In summary, my research question is how does caffeine and melatonin (a sleep inducing drug) affect cognitive function, specifically memory?

Although I am not a social butterfly, I am so excited to work with my fellow classmates as we learn and grow together over the next few months. The first week of TRIP has reminded me why I love STEM and especially science-- it is hands-on in a way no other subject can be.
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​I am Co-Captain of my school's FIRST Robotics Team. I created and run a WISE (Women In Science & Engineering) Club at my school (It's my baby). I really enjoy doing STEM that outreaches to others, whether it be other high school students or my community or younger kids - it gives me the most fulfillment. ​